The median salary for charity CEOs has shot up by over
8% from last year to nearly £60,000, while salaries
for those heading the UK’s largest charities remain
firmly over the £100,000 mark, according to the latest
ACEVO Pay Survey.

But by far the biggest salary increases are for CEOs of
small charities, where the Pay Survey recorded a 23.3% increase
on last year.

Stephen Bubb, CEO of ACEVO, said: “The figures highlight
the continuing professionalisation of charity CEOs and the
growing awareness of how important it is to invest in them.”

The survey did highlight the growing gap in pay between
women and men in CEO positions. Bubb addeed: “The
charity sector needs to get its house in order. It is shameful
that there is a growing gender gap in a sector that champions
social justice.”

The ACEVO 2008 Pay Survey shows that the median salary
for female charity CEOs is £11,000 lower than the
equivalent for their male counterparts.

The gap appears to be widening, with salaries for men rising
faster than for women. With the exception of women employed
in organisations with an income of £150,000 - £250,000,
the salaries of men in all organisation income bands are
higher, suggesting that for equivalent roles, women are
paid less.

They are also less likely to hold chief executive positions
in larger charities.

The ACEVO survey also showed that less than one in three
charities have people from an ethnic minority on their trustee
board.

Bubb added: “Alongside the pay gap between men and
women in the sector, the spectre of so many all-white trustee
boards in modern-day, multi-ethnic Britain is deeply concerning.
We cannot afford to be complacent about our approach to
equality and we risk seriously damaging our reputation as
a sector if these trends continue.”